Pep Guardiola urges Sergio Aguero to break Man City scoring record

Sergio Aguero is a master goalscorer
Sergio Aguero is a master goalscorer Credit: AFP

Kyle Walker needed no time to digest the question when asked to offer a little insight about Sergio Aguero, who will join Eric Brook as Manchester City’s all-time record scorer on 177 goals if he finds the net against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.

“Well, to play against, he is a nightmare,” the City and England right-back said. “Facing him for numerous seasons [with Tottenham], he always seemed to score against us. It was frustrating, but having him on the same team now is a big bonus. If things aren’t going well, he is the kind of player who can produce that bit of magic and put us one goal up or back into the game.”

Perhaps more revealing, though, was Walker’s assessment of the Argentina striker away from the pitch. “On the field, there is no difference [to what I imagined],” he explained. “Off the field, he is a little bit quieter than I thought but his presence around the place gives off the vibe of winning. Around the dressing room, it helps the younger lads. You can lean on him and he gives his advice. Anything below par, I think he will be one of the first to say, ‘Come on, this isn’t right, let’s pick it up’. Luckily, he hasn’t had to have a word with us so far.”

Aguero is one of five members of City’s players’ counsel, with club captain Vincent Kompany, David Silva, Fernandinho and Kevin De Bruyne, and his standing in the dressing room could not be much higher. Benjamin Mendy, who is undergoing a fitness test to determine if he can play against Shakhtar after injuring a knee in Saturday’s 5-0 win over Crystal Palace, spoke in similarly glowing terms about Aguero’s understated leadership style to this newspaper at the weekend.

The irony, of course, is that the dynamic between player and manager has been far less clear cut. Indeed, there have been times over the past 12 months when no one could be entirely sure Aguero would still be around to be in a position to break Brook’s long-standing record.

His relationship with Pep Guardiola has not been the smoothest and there are plenty of credible sources who believed the manager would have been willing to offload Aguero if the player had asked to go and Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez came in.

Sergio Aguero is one of the team leaders
Sergio Aguero is one of the team leaders Credit: ACTION IMAGES

But that scenario was averted, Aguero’s position has been strengthened and, whether through accident or design on Guardiola’s part, a more complete forward is emerging. Aguero deserves huge credit for that, not only for reacting so positively to the arrival of Gabriel Jesus - the man who could have replaced him but one with whom he has since struck up a formidable strike partnership and friendship - but for his willingness to buy into the manager’s methods.

“I never say I make a better Sergio than the others,” Guardiola said. “I don’t want to be arrogant, I am respectful for my other colleagues [Manuel Pellegrini and Roberto Mancini]. It is a question only Sergio can answer.

“Maybe now we play more with him. We are not just looking at the finishing part now. Before maybe Sergio just scores a goal. Now in the process, when John [Stones] or Nico [Otamendi] or Fernandinho has the ball, we know always he is there and that has helped him be more involved in our play. It helps, too, that we are able to score more goals with more people now. The other opponents can focus on other guys, not just Sergio. Then he is freer to score more goals.”

Sergio Aguero has struck up a good relationship with Gabriel Jesus
Sergio Aguero has struck up a good relationship with Gabriel Jesus Credit: GETTY IMAGES

That much is evident. Of the 27 goals City have scored in eight matches this season, Aguero has seven and Jesus, Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling five apiece. “I hope as soon as possible Sergio can make that record as it means we don’t talk about that,” Guardiola said. “I’m pretty sure that in the next games it’s going to happen.”

Not because Guardiola is tired of talking about Aguero but rather because he does not want the conversation about breaking personal milestones to detract from the job in hand. City enjoyed a fine start to last season before things started to come unstuck from their second Champions League group game, which they drew 3-3 at Celtic, and Guardiola knows from experience that Shakhtar are not to be underestimated as they seek to build on a 4-0 demolition of Feyenoord.

“It is the seventh time I play against Shakhtar in my career and every time before I have the same feeling,” Guardiola said. “The first time we faced them in the group stage [with Barcelona], my team came back saying, ‘Wow’.

“Napoli are one of the best teams in Italy and leading the Italian league and Shakhtar beat them [two weeks ago]. People say ‘Shakhtar, it’s Ukraine’ or ‘Napoli, it’s not Milan or Juventus’ but that group is tricky. We’re at home in the next two games against them and can take a big step towards the knockout round. But the players are going to see how good they are and hopefully I can convince them to take it seriously.”

With Brook’s record just waiting to be broken, there is little doubt Aguero will be.

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